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Best African American History Apps and Websites
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PBS LearningMedia
Treasure trove of lesson resources will benefit from adaptation
Bottom line: For teachers with time to sift through and adapt materials, PBS LearningMedia has a lot to offer with some highly useful support materials.
Grades: Pre-K–12
Price: Free
Learning for Justice
Thought-provoking classroom resources support diversity education
Bottom line: It's an invaluable teacher tool to help reduce prejudice and encourage tolerance in schools, as well as within society as a whole.
Grades: K–12
Price: Free
Library of Congress
Dig into famed library's collection of research goodies
Bottom line: The Library of Congress delivers the best of America's past and present, and with teacher support it could be a reliable research resource for students.
Grades: 1–12
Price: Free
EDSITEment
Extensive humanities resource offers deep well of great content
Bottom line: The National Endowment for the Humanities has put together an outstanding place for art, history, language, and literature.
Grades: 3–12
Price: Free
Alabama Civil Rights Trail
Thorough but dry resource helps put historic events in context
Bottom line: Although most information focuses specifically on Alabama, students gain a thorough understanding of key players, places, and events of the entire Civil Rights Movement.
Grades: 4–12
Price: Free
Ken Burns in the Classroom
Critically acclaimed documentaries repackaged meaningfully for classrooms
Bottom line: Top-notch documentary clips offer opportunities to expand students' perspectives, but some lesson materials might be underwhelming.
Grades: 4–12
Price: Free
National Archives
Access U.S. history with treasure trove of docs, genealogy, and other resources
Bottom line: NARA's website wasn't designed for kids, but they can definitely use it to research and learn about history, genealogy, and the U.S. population and government.
Grades: 4–12
Price: Free
Slavery at Monticello: Life and Work at Mulberry Row
Engrossing images, audio reveal the untold stories of Jefferson's estate
Bottom line: A great invitation to conversation for your history or social studies class, but be sure to build out your activities.
Grades: 4–12
Price: Free
Digital Public Library of America
Organized digital library features piles of useful primary resources
Bottom line: DPLA is at the top of the list of high-grade, online primary source collections if teachers make effective use of what's on offer.
Grades: 5–12
Price: Free
Facing History and Ourselves
A wealth of resources explore racism, prejudice, and anti-Semitism
Bottom line: These valuable materials empower students to understand and address difficult ethical choices -- past and present.
Grades: 6–12
Price: Free
The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History
Stellar history website, gateway to cool PD and scholarship
Bottom line: In class, a good resource for U.S. history; beyond, a great website for free teacher PD and some great in-depth exploration of primary sources.
Grades: 6–12
Price: Free
Google Arts & Culture
Well-curated art and history site inspires curious learning
Bottom line: A beautifully presented one-stop shop for compellingly curated and contextualized art, history, and culture resources, but it's lacking educator supports.
Grades: 6–12
Price: Free
Zinn Education Project
Resources, lessons help teach a more inclusive version of U.S. history
Bottom line: Free downloadable resources encourage critical thinking and active learning in search of a more accurate picture of American history.
Grades: 6–12
Price: Free
Voices of Democracy
Vast collection of primary source documents a solid starting point
Bottom line: A great place to begin when you want to make history feel more real, but "begin" is the operative word; plan on creating your own scaffolding.
Grades: 8–12
Price: Free
Stanford History Education Group
High-quality, document-based lessons spark stellar historical inquiry
Bottom line: A gold mine of cross-curricular literacy lessons that encourage sound, research-backed strategies for reading, analysis, and critical thinking.
Grades: 8–12
Price: Free
Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade Database
Deep, complex database is challenging but a peerless research tool
Bottom line: This is a highly academic site for better and for worse; it's filled with deep, research-backed resources and primary sources but is intimidating without clear guidance.
Grades: 10–12
Price: Free
The 1619 Project
Striking resources can add depth, rigor to lessons on slavery's legacy
Bottom line: These high-level materials will add depth and context to lessons about slavery, but they need scaffolding to connect with students.
Grades: 11–12
Price: Free to try